Sandon, British Columbia
Encyclopedia
Sandon is a ghost town
in British Columbia
, Canada. It is also the birthplace of hockey Hall of Fame member Cecil "Tiny" Thompson
.
, about ten kilometers east of the town of New Denver
.
ore here by Eli Carpenter and Jack Seaton in 1891, prospectors flocked from around North America to stake their claims. Sandon was incorporated as a city in 1898 and for a few years had more than 5000 residents and a booming economy. Two different railways raced to reach the town first; the Kaslo & Slocan Railway, connecting Sandon with nearby Kaslo, on Kootenay lake, and the Nakusp & Slocan Railway-Canadian Pacific, from New Denver and Nakusp. Well into the 1900s, the hills around Sandon were actively mined by mines such as the Silversmith, the Slocan Star and The Payne. Smaller communities, such as Cody
and Three Forks
appeared on the map, continuing to provide opportunity to the miners. Like the other silver towns of the era, Sandon faded with the silver prices, and in 1955, a massive flood of Carpenter Creek occurred, destroying most of the remaining buildings. After the flood, looters tore apart the remains of the many of the buildings.
Sandon was used a Japanese Canadian internment
camp during World War II
.
Local Historian Bill Barlee
believes there are about 10,000 coins lying somewhere along the bed of Carpenter Creek. The Creek ran through Sandon. The creek flooded in 1955. The main street of Sandon was built over the creek. It is believed coins were washed into creek from under the boardwalk along main street during the flood. The coins lie along a stretch of the creek measuring no more than a one-third of a mile in length in about 3 feet of water.
Currently, Sandon features a few buildings, a fleet of trolley buses, and a handful of residents. Both railways that served the town have been dismantled and turned into hiking trails, leaving only traces of a rich mining history. There is a museum ran by the Sandon Historical Society in the old mercantile building. 20,000 visitors come to Sandon yearly.
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
in British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada. It is also the birthplace of hockey Hall of Fame member Cecil "Tiny" Thompson
Tiny Thompson
Cecil Ralph "Tiny" Thompson was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. He played 12 seasons in the National Hockey League , first for the Boston Bruins, and later for the Detroit Red Wings. A four-time Vezina Trophy winner, Thompson was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1959...
.
Location
Sandon is located in the Selkirk MountainsSelkirk Mountains
The Selkirk Mountains are a mountain range spanning the northern portion of the Idaho Panhandle, eastern Washington, and southeastern British Columbia. They begin at Mica Peak near Coeur d'Alene, Idaho and extend approximately 320 km north from the border. The range is bounded on its west,...
, about ten kilometers east of the town of New Denver
New Denver, British Columbia
New Denver is a village in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, along the shore of Slocan Lake. New Denver was founded as a mining town in 1892, and briefly known as Eldorado City before being renamed after Denver, Colorado. It was incorporated as a village in 1929 and currently has approximately...
.
History
After the discovery of vast amounts of galenaGalena
Galena is the natural mineral form of lead sulfide. It is the most important lead ore mineral.Galena is one of the most abundant and widely distributed sulfide minerals. It crystallizes in the cubic crystal system often showing octahedral forms...
ore here by Eli Carpenter and Jack Seaton in 1891, prospectors flocked from around North America to stake their claims. Sandon was incorporated as a city in 1898 and for a few years had more than 5000 residents and a booming economy. Two different railways raced to reach the town first; the Kaslo & Slocan Railway, connecting Sandon with nearby Kaslo, on Kootenay lake, and the Nakusp & Slocan Railway-Canadian Pacific, from New Denver and Nakusp. Well into the 1900s, the hills around Sandon were actively mined by mines such as the Silversmith, the Slocan Star and The Payne. Smaller communities, such as Cody
Cody, British Columbia
Cody, British Columbia is a ghost town in the Selkirk Mountains, British Columbia, Canada.Cody is located about a kilometer east of Sandon. In its day, Cody was home to about 250 people, mostly employed by the Noble Five Mine. Surrounding Cody are several old mine sites including the Slocan...
and Three Forks
Three Forks, British Columbia
Three Forks is a ghost town located in the West Kootenay region of British Columbia. The town was located at the forks of three creeks: Carpenter Creek, Seaton Creek, and Kane Creek. Three Forks was founded in 1892 with the discovery of silver in the area. The Nakusp and Slocan railway passed...
appeared on the map, continuing to provide opportunity to the miners. Like the other silver towns of the era, Sandon faded with the silver prices, and in 1955, a massive flood of Carpenter Creek occurred, destroying most of the remaining buildings. After the flood, looters tore apart the remains of the many of the buildings.
Sandon was used a Japanese Canadian internment
Japanese Canadian internment
Japanese Canadian internment refers to confinement of Japanese Canadians in British Columbia during World War II. The internment began in December 1941, following the attack by carrier-borne forces of Imperial Japan on American naval and army facilities at Pearl Harbor...
camp during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Local Historian Bill Barlee
Bill Barlee
Neville Langrell Barlee is a Canadian politician who was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia as a New Democrat in 1988...
believes there are about 10,000 coins lying somewhere along the bed of Carpenter Creek. The Creek ran through Sandon. The creek flooded in 1955. The main street of Sandon was built over the creek. It is believed coins were washed into creek from under the boardwalk along main street during the flood. The coins lie along a stretch of the creek measuring no more than a one-third of a mile in length in about 3 feet of water.
Currently, Sandon features a few buildings, a fleet of trolley buses, and a handful of residents. Both railways that served the town have been dismantled and turned into hiking trails, leaving only traces of a rich mining history. There is a museum ran by the Sandon Historical Society in the old mercantile building. 20,000 visitors come to Sandon yearly.